So it has been about a month since I decided to ignore the Cubs. This has been easier than I thought since I watch most stuff via DVR and can skip what I don't want to see. Generally, the plan works well. I do hear the occasional score. Last weekend, I was in-town and told my sox fan dad of my plan, which he ruined by telling me the standings. Sigh. Note to self: Don't share the plan with others (non WSI'ers). They'll spoil it.

However, I have to say, I am much happier overall. Drove home Saturday night after the game listening to 670, including the incomprehensible call. Have to say, it's a lot better feeling being pro-Sox focused than anti-Cub. Wish the season was going better though.

kittle42

05-12-2009, 03:36 PM

Congrats. Now you care just as much about the Cubs as 60% of the people at their park every day.

october23sp

05-12-2009, 04:14 PM

:scratch: I'm sorry but why do people care so much about the Cubs? I know I had the "Cubs will win the world series in 10 years" thread but that's only me making a guess towards the money being stuck into the team and after reading other arguments it's clear money does not buy championships. Anyways, is it really THAT hard to not give a **** about the Cubs?

munchman33

05-12-2009, 05:14 PM

Who are the Cubs?

doublem23

05-12-2009, 05:21 PM

:scratch: I'm sorry but why do people care so much about the Cubs? I know I had the "Cubs will win the world series in 10 years" thread but that's only me making a guess towards the money being stuck into the team and after reading other arguments it's clear money does not buy championships. Anyways, is it really THAT hard to not give a **** about the Cubs?

When you live in North Dakota, probably. When you live in Chicago, not so much.

*This is not a dig at North Dakota, which I'm sure is a fine place to live, if for no other reason than there's so few Cubs fans out there.

october23sp

05-12-2009, 07:14 PM

When you live in North Dakota, probably. When you live in Chicago, not so much.

*This is not a dig at North Dakota, which I'm sure is a fine place to live, if for no other reason than there's so few Cubs fans out there.

Haha you can make fun of North Dakota all you want.:redneck I know you weren't but anyways, yeah there are a lot of Cub fans up here, the whole high school band wen to Wrigley last year so EVERYONE that went bought a Fukudome shirt and wore them all out that school year. I sort of see what you mean now.

MarySwiss

05-12-2009, 08:43 PM

When you live in North Dakota, probably. When you live in Chicago, not so much.

*This is not a dig at North Dakota, which I'm sure is a fine place to live, if for no other reason than there's so few Cubs fans out there.

Or when you live in Arizona!

DSpivack

05-12-2009, 08:57 PM

Or when you live in Arizona!

Well, the suburbs aren't any different from the city.

SOXPHILE

05-13-2009, 12:20 AM

:scratch: I'm sorry but why do people care so much about the Cubs? I know I had the "Cubs will win the world series in 10 years" thread but that's only me making a guess towards the money being stuck into the team and after reading other arguments it's clear money does not buy championships. Anyways, is it really THAT hard to not give a **** about the Cubs?

For many reasons:

-Having them constantly shoved down your throat by the media in general, and the selling of the whole "aura" and "mystic" around them.

-The overall stupidity, arrogance, and general ignorance of more than half of their so called "fans". Acting as though the team they claim to support is on par with a New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics or Montreal Canadians as far as world championships and history are concerned.

-The fact that these people claim to be fans of the team, and in addition to the ingorance mentioned above, really don't have much of a clue about the true history of the Cubs & Wrigley Field. They usually fall into 3 catagories:

- drunken backwards hat wearing fratboys and half shirt trixies, who are at the game mainly because it is cool, want to get drunk, and check out the opposite sex. (I like to do these things too, but I usually go to a bar, or a beach for those things) Know next to nothing about baseball, but do like to yell CUBBIES..WOOOOOOOO !!!!! and tell us the Sox suck, the Cubs rule, the Cubs are better because they always sell out (when I and many others here can remember when the upper deck at Wrigley would be CLOSED during some games due to low attendance)- etc.

-Tourists from out of town, who don't know that much about baseball, but "need to see the sights you can't miss in Chicago", -Buckingham Fountain, The Bean, Navy Pier, and Wrigley Field. I can't blame them for this, as they aren't from around here, and are only following the advice of said media mentioned in the first reason.

-Trendy yuppies. Basically, a grown up version of drunken frat boys & trixies. Traded in the backwards hat, flip flops & pookah beads for boat shoes, and Izod shirt, with optional sweater tied over the shoulders. No more bleacher seats. They sit in the season ticket holder or corporate seats. They are still the baseball stupid, but instead slurring out the plans of which bar they'll be going to after the game, this time they are not paying attention to the game due to cell phone chatting with their friends ("Hi. Guess where I am ? The Cubs game. That's right. Really ? When ? That's a pretty good deal for a car. Tell him to get it...."), or they are chatting with the person next to them about Ravinia plans, business deals, etc.

So yeah, basically, right there is why I hate anything pertaining to the Cubs. Living in or around Chicago, you just can't get away from it.

kittle42

05-13-2009, 01:04 AM

-Tourists from out of town, who don't know that much about baseball, but "need to see the sights you can't miss in Chicago", -Buckingham Fountain, The Bean, Navy Pier, and Wrigley Field. I can't blame them for this, as they aren't from around here, and are only following the advice of said media mentioned in the first reason.

These always get under my skin, always, because I watch people on the Addison stop salivating over seeing it, and catch people on non-game weekends snapping photos. However, I understand why they do it.

If you are a tourist without that much interest in baseball, you go see what is considered to be a Chicago landmark in a fun neighborhood you could probably visit anyway.

If you're a tourist who loves baseball, you go see it for the same reason I'd stop and see Fenway in Boston, regardless of whether there was game - it's an old ballpark.

Only when there's an actual Sox game going on and the Cubs are out of town will I occasionally make the observation that they might want to go watch some real baseball. But otherwise, I can't blame them at all for their sightseeing.

DumpJerry

05-13-2009, 07:53 AM

I was at the game at The Urinal last night (Harden v. Peavy). It is a very confining place once you're used to a post 1920's ballpark.

Average Homeboy

05-13-2009, 07:59 AM

I was at the game at The Urinal last night (Harden v. Peavy). It is a very confining place once you're used to a post 1920's ballpark.

"The Friendly Confines"

kittle42

05-13-2009, 09:35 AM

I was at the game at The Urinal last night (Harden v. Peavy). It is a very confining place once you're used to a post 1920's ballpark.

Question, because Fenway is the same way seating-wise - how exactly did everyone get so damn fat in 80 years?

doublem23

05-13-2009, 09:41 AM

Question, because Fenway is the same way seating-wise - how exactly did everyone get so damn fat in 80 years?
Everything... EVERYTHING has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it nowadays.
Modern agriculture techniques have made food less healthy. Seriously, a chicken grown today probably has less protein and more fat than a chicken grown in the 1950s. The same is true for fruits and vegetables, which are grown and picked to "look good," regardless of their nutrional value.
We're lazy. How far does the average American walk per week? Isn't it less than 2 miles? That's pathetic.

DSpivack

05-13-2009, 01:01 PM

Everything... EVERYTHING has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it nowadays.
Modern agriculture techniques have made food less healthy. Seriously, a chicken grown today probably has less protein and more fat than a chicken grown in the 1950s. The same is true for fruits and vegetables, which are grown and picked to "look good," regardless of their nutrional value.
We're lazy. How far does the average American walk per week? Isn't it less than 2 miles? That's pathetic.

This is true, and oddly enough, the opposite is true for pigs. They've been purposefully grown lean, and some would say that makes the taste inferior to what it would/should be.

DumpJerry

05-13-2009, 01:09 PM

Question, because Fenway is the same way seating-wise - how exactly did everyone get so damn fat in 80 years?
I wasn't referring to the seats, it looks like they use the same ones we have. I'm referring to the fact that there is not the open-air atmosphere we have. It is not easy to walk around and watch the game at the same time because the concourse behind the lower level seats it too narrow to handle any crowds over 10,000 in a comfortable manner.

Also, between innings you're captive to boredom since there is nothing to look at (except some silly painting animation which makes the Connie's Pizza Race look like greatest video game ever produced).

Iwritecode

05-13-2009, 01:19 PM

For many reasons:

-Having them constantly shoved down your throat by the media in general, and the selling of the whole "aura" and "mystic" around them.

-The overall stupidity, arrogance, and general ignorance of more than half of their so called "fans". Acting as though the team they claim to support is on par with a New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics or Montreal Canadians as far as world championships and history are concerned.

-The fact that these people claim to be fans of the team, and in addition to the ingorance mentioned above, really don't have much of a clue about the true history of the Cubs & Wrigley Field. They usually fall into 3 catagories:

- drunken backwards hat wearing fratboys and half shirt trixies, who are at the game mainly because it is cool, want to get drunk, and check out the opposite sex. (I like to do these things too, but I usually go to a bar, or a beach for those things) Know next to nothing about baseball, but do like to yell CUBBIES..WOOOOOOOO !!!!! and tell us the Sox suck, the Cubs rule, the Cubs are better because they always sell out (when I and many others here can remember when the upper deck at Wrigley would be CLOSED during some games due to low attendance)- etc.

-Tourists from out of town, who don't know that much about baseball, but "need to see the sights you can't miss in Chicago", -Buckingham Fountain, The Bean, Navy Pier, and Wrigley Field. I can't blame them for this, as they aren't from around here, and are only following the advice of said media mentioned in the first reason.

-Trendy yuppies. Basically, a grown up version of drunken frat boys & trixies. Traded in the backwards hat, flip flops & pookah beads for boat shoes, and Izod shirt, with optional sweater tied over the shoulders. No more bleacher seats. They sit in the season ticket holder or corporate seats. They are still the baseball stupid, but instead slurring out the plans of which bar they'll be going to after the game, this time they are not paying attention to the game due to cell phone chatting with their friends ("Hi. Guess where I am ? The Cubs game. That's right. Really ? When ? That's a pretty good deal for a car. Tell him to get it...."), or they are chatting with the person next to them about Ravinia plans, business deals, etc.

So yeah, basically, right there is why I hate anything pertaining to the Cubs. Living in or around Chicago, you just can't get away from it.

-Going into any store that has sports apparel and seeing 10 times the amount of Cubs gear over Sox.

I went to a store the other day and they had 5 different racks filled with Cubs shirts, caps, jerseys, etc... They had two different Sox shirts on the very back wall.

Some stores I've been to have nothing but Cubs stuff and no Sox stuff to be found anywhere. Brewers stuff too. :angry:

BigP50

05-13-2009, 05:25 PM

I didn't plan it but i just realized from reading this thread that I to am ignoring the Cubs. I honestly have no idea what place they are in or what there record is, and it feels good.

kittle42

05-13-2009, 06:07 PM

I didn't plan it but i just realized from reading this thread that I to am ignoring the Cubs. I honestly have no idea what place they are in or what there record is, and it feels good.

While ignoring the Cubs, concentrate more on writing. :redneck

BigP50

05-13-2009, 06:51 PM

While ignoring the Cubs, concentrate more on writing. :redneck

:cool:

Zisk77

05-13-2009, 07:02 PM

Who are these cubs you all are referring to?:scratch: is that a cute name for the Bears. I love the Bears, but that talk can wait until september. :cool:

white sox bill

05-14-2009, 07:25 AM

Its actually quite liberating to ignore that team. It frees up energy for more positive thoughts.:smile:

BTW its kind of a misnomer to call them "losers" the last few yrs. Sure they gagged in the playoffs, but winning even the NL Comedy Central two yrs in a row at least means they aren't total losers. But of course, they are still losers!!:smile:

WSox597

05-14-2009, 01:14 PM

Its actually quite liberating to ignore that team. It frees up energy for more positive thoughts.:smile:

BTW its kind of a misnomer to call them "losers" the last few yrs. Sure they gagged in the playoffs, but winning even the NL Comedy Central two yrs in a row at least means they aren't total losers. But of course, they are still losers!!:smile:

The way things are going so far, I hope the AL Central isn't referred to this way soon.

14-17 and still in range of first place? Sheesh.

thechico

05-14-2009, 03:17 PM

-Going into any store that has sports apparel and seeing 10 times the amount of Cubs gear over Sox.

I went to a store the other day and they had 5 different racks filled with Cubs shirts, caps, jerseys, etc... They had two different Sox shirts on the very back wall.

Some stores I've been to have nothing but Cubs stuff and no Sox stuff to be found anywhere. Brewers stuff too. :angry:

Not that you were trying to, but now I will definitely NOT move to Rockford.
Makes you wonder where in the Land o' Lincoln is more Sox than Cubs, besides Beverly and Bridgeport. I live near Starved Rock now and the local station broadcasts Cardinals games.

southside rocks

05-14-2009, 04:21 PM

-Having them constantly shoved down your throat by the media in general, and the selling of the whole "aura" and "mystic" around them.

"When you use those words, `mystique’ and `aura,’ those are dancers in a night club. Those are not things we concern ourselves with on the ball field.” - Curt Schilling

Iwritecode

05-14-2009, 04:44 PM

Not that you were trying to, but now I will definitely NOT move to Rockford.
Makes you wonder where in the Land o' Lincoln is more Sox than Cubs, besides Beverly and Bridgeport. I live near Starved Rock now and the local station broadcasts Cardinals games.

That would be the least of your worries living in Rockford.

I'm pretty sure the city is 50/50 Bears/Packers too.

voodoochile

05-14-2009, 04:47 PM

For many reasons:

-Having them constantly shoved down your throat by the media in general, and the selling of the whole "aura" and "mystic" around them.

-The overall stupidity, arrogance, and general ignorance of more than half of their so called "fans". Acting as though the team they claim to support is on par with a New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics or Montreal Canadians as far as world championships and history are concerned.

-The fact that these people claim to be fans of the team, and in addition to the ingorance mentioned above, really don't have much of a clue about the true history of the Cubs & Wrigley Field. They usually fall into 3 catagories:

- drunken backwards hat wearing fratboys and half shirt trixies, who are at the game mainly because it is cool, want to get drunk, and check out the opposite sex. (I like to do these things too, but I usually go to a bar, or a beach for those things) Know next to nothing about baseball, but do like to yell CUBBIES..WOOOOOOOO !!!!! and tell us the Sox suck, the Cubs rule, the Cubs are better because they always sell out (when I and many others here can remember when the upper deck at Wrigley would be CLOSED during some games due to low attendance)- etc.

-Tourists from out of town, who don't know that much about baseball, but "need to see the sights you can't miss in Chicago", -Buckingham Fountain, The Bean, Navy Pier, and Wrigley Field. I can't blame them for this, as they aren't from around here, and are only following the advice of said media mentioned in the first reason.

-Trendy yuppies. Basically, a grown up version of drunken frat boys & trixies. Traded in the backwards hat, flip flops & pookah beads for boat shoes, and Izod shirt, with optional sweater tied over the shoulders. No more bleacher seats. They sit in the season ticket holder or corporate seats. They are still the baseball stupid, but instead slurring out the plans of which bar they'll be going to after the game, this time they are not paying attention to the game due to cell phone chatting with their friends ("Hi. Guess where I am ? The Cubs game. That's right. Really ? When ? That's a pretty good deal for a car. Tell him to get it...."), or they are chatting with the person next to them about Ravinia plans, business deals, etc.

So yeah, basically, right there is why I hate anything pertaining to the Cubs. Living in or around Chicago, you just can't get away from it.

So how much rent you collecting for letting these folks you hate live in your head?

No one's fault but yours that you choose to pay attention to this crap nor that you choose to accept at face value strictly the stereotypes you have littered your post with.

If I were a flubs fan, I'd laugh my ****ing ass off at you, but I'm not, so I just think it's sad...

DumpJerry

05-14-2009, 04:50 PM

-Going into any store that has sports apparel and seeing 10 times the amount of Cubs gear over Sox.

I went to a store the other day and they had 5 different racks filled with Cubs shirts, caps, jerseys, etc... They had two different Sox shirts on the very back wall.

Some stores I've been to have nothing but Cubs stuff and no Sox stuff to be found anywhere. Brewers stuff too. :angry:
Several years ago Brooks said that they have conceded marketing in NW Illinois to the Cubs. According to Brooks, the reason why the Cub are so strong there is due to the proximity of Iowa, home of the Iowa Cubs. It would be too expensive to market the team in that part of the state in terms of the return (tickets sold) it would yield.

Iwritecode

05-14-2009, 05:07 PM

Several years ago Brooks said that they have conceded marketing in NW Illinois to the Cubs. According to Brooks, the reason why the Cub are so strong there is due to the proximity of Iowa, home of the Iowa Cubs. It would be too expensive to market the team in that part of the state in terms of the return (tickets sold) it would yield.

Rockford to Des Moines, IA = 285 miles

Rockford to Miller Park = 93.1

Rockford to US Cellular field = 88.3 miles

:(:

DumpJerry

05-14-2009, 05:11 PM

Rockford to Des Moines, IA = 285 miles

Rockford to Miller Park = 93.1

Rockford to US Cellular field = 88.3 miles

:(:
I'm just reporting what Brooks said.

Why the sad face? Unless you're an investor in the White Sox, what difference does it make you (or anyone else) where they choose to spend their marketing resources?

kittle42

05-14-2009, 05:14 PM

So how much rent you collecting for letting these folks you hate live in your head?

No one's fault but yours that you choose to pay attention to this crap nor that you choose to accept at face value strictly the stereotypes you have littered your post with.

If I were a flubs fan, I'd laugh my ****ing ass off at you, but I'm not, so I just think it's sad...

I hate Cubs fans generally. I live in the area, by choice, and they annoy the piss out of me, but hey, I love strife.

Anyway, when people toss these stereotypes around, do they ever think about the "trailer park," "toothless," etc. stereotypes toward Sox fans? Cubs fans think those are as much true as Sox fans think the yuppie/frat boy/etc. stuff is true.

In reality, both sides are part right and part wrong, hence the nature of stereotypes.

Sports fandom is like religion - a lot of what you believe and who you follow is based on where you had the fortune or misfortune of being born or living and how you were raised. Other times, it is completely a conscious choice. My kids (if, heaven forbid, they ever exist) will have Sox/Hawks/Northwestern shoved so far down their throats before they're 5, I may have them brainwashed for life.

So let's give everybody a break (and "hate 'em" anyway!) :D:

Iwritecode

05-14-2009, 05:17 PM

I'm just reporting what Brooks said.

Why the sad face? Unless you're an investor in the White Sox, what difference does it make you (or anyone else) where they choose to spend their marketing resources?

I don't know if marketing includes merchandising or not but there has been many times I've walked into a store and seen something with a Cubs logo on it and said, "that would be cool if it were Sox."

There are local banks that offer free Cubs tickets when opening an account. There is a local store that is having a few Cubs players come in for an autograph session. I just saw that Fergie Jenkins is going to be in town for something. Even the Cubs caravan that comes through every year.

The Sox never do anything like that around here.

DumpJerry

05-14-2009, 05:25 PM

I don't know if marketing includes merchandising or not but there has been many times I've walked into a store and seen something with a Cubs logo on it and said, "that would be cool if it were Sox."

There are local banks that offer free Cubs tickets when opening an account. There is a local store that is having a few Cubs players come in for an autograph session. I just saw that Fergie Jenkins is going to be in town for something. Even the Cubs caravan that comes through every year.

The Sox never do anything like that around here.
Like I said, the Sox choose to spend their resources elsewhere.

Woofer

05-14-2009, 05:30 PM

Like I said, the Sox choose to spend their resources elsewhere.

Like trying to buy Arizona hockey teams?

DSpivack

05-14-2009, 05:30 PM

Like trying to buy Arizona hockey teams?

What does that have to do with the Sox?

eriqjaffe

05-14-2009, 05:34 PM

Yeah, it drives me nuts, there's this store in Woodfield that - I swear - sells nothing but Cubs stuff!

Iwritecode

05-14-2009, 05:34 PM

Like I said, the Sox choose to spend their resources elsewhere.

And that makes me sad. :(:

kittle42

05-14-2009, 05:44 PM

Like I said, the Sox choose to spend their resources elsewhere.

50 cents doesn't stretch that far north.

cnw8052

05-14-2009, 09:35 PM

Well, in my area the stores seem to sell mostly Cubs and Cardinals stuff. Cubs, Cardinals, Bears, Blackhawks, then Sox if they have any shelf room left. That seems to be the order.

While I don't hate the Cubs, it's REALLY annoying, and not fair.

I don't know if marketing includes merchandising or not but there has been many times I've walked into a store and seen something with a Cubs logo on it and said, "that would be cool if it were Sox."

There are local banks that offer free Cubs tickets when opening an account. There is a local store that is having a few Cubs players come in for an autograph session. I just saw that Fergie Jenkins is going to be in town for something. Even the Cubs caravan that comes through every year.

The Sox never do anything like that around here.

southside rocks

05-15-2009, 04:04 PM

Like I said, the Sox choose to spend their resources elsewhere.

I don't know if this is about resource allocation, but I hear WAY more about community and charity work done by Sox players and the club than by the Cubs organization. I thought it might be just because I listen to Sox broadcasts, but I have come to the conclusion that the Sox organization just does more charity work and has more community involvement than the other Chicago ballclub.

Which to me is pretty cool.

Iwritecode

05-15-2009, 04:21 PM

50 cents doesn't stretch that far north.

I'm curious where they DO spend their marketing resources if not in a city that's less than 100 miles away?

jdm2662

05-15-2009, 04:46 PM

I'm pretty sure the city is 50/50 Bears/Packers too.

It's more of where the wind blows according to the wife. In the 80s, I'm sure there were many more Bears fans. In the 90s, it was Packers. Now, it's a tossup.

DumpJerry

05-15-2009, 06:14 PM

I'm curious where they DO spend their marketing resources if not in a city that's less than 100 miles away?
If it's that important to you to live in a community where the Sox lavish marketing money on you (i.e. "preaching to the choir"), then move to Chicago.

Milwaukee is 90 miles from Chicago, should they do some heavy marketing there since you're using 100 miles as a marker?

NW Illinois/ NE Iowa has for a long, long time been Cub territory for many reasons. The White Sox do not have a money printing press in the basement of Comiskey, therefore it would be a waste of money to try to get more people to buy Sox stuff in that part of the state and NE Iowa. Baseball fans in that area are aware of the White Sox and the other MLB franchises, so they know how to buy tickets, etc. if they are so inclined. Also, does it really matter what's on the store shelves when there is the Internet for shopping?

Complaining about seeing nothing but Cub stuff in the stores only reinforces the stereotype Cub fans have about Sox fans having an inferiority complex. Whenever I walk into a store that has a lot of Cub merchandise on the shelves I just presume they cannot sell the junk and can't keep the Sox stuff in stock due to high demand.

russ99

05-15-2009, 06:24 PM

To add to the discussion, I enjoy the heck out of being a Sox fan living on the North Side. There's a lot of us up here too. It's like being in a secret club. :D:

And other than Peoria, where the Cubs have a farm team, everything south of a line just past the outskirts of Kankakee is Cardinals territory, so I don't see what we're missing out on so much. Besides, we have a good chunk of Indiana.

Railsplitter

05-15-2009, 06:44 PM

Whenever I walk into a store that has a lot of Cub merchandise on the shelves I just presume they cannot sell the junk and can't keep the Sox stuff in stock due to high demand.

I like your line of thinking here.

DSpivack

05-15-2009, 07:26 PM

To add to the discussion, I enjoy the heck out of being a Sox fan living on the North Side. There's a lot of us up here too. It's like being in a secret club. :D:

And other than Peoria, where the Cubs have a farm team, everything south of a line just past the outskirts of Kankakee is Cardinals territory, so I don't see what we're missing out on so much. Besides, we have a good chunk of Indiana.

Springfield is split pretty well down the middle between Cubs and Cards. My dad lived there when I was growing up.

RadioheadRocks

05-15-2009, 09:15 PM

"When you use those words, `mystique’ and `aura,’ those are dancers in a night club. Those are not things we concern ourselves with on the ball field.” - Curt Schilling

Wasn't "Mystique" Pam Grier's alter ego while she was infiltrating King George's stable in COFFY?

kittle42

05-16-2009, 01:19 PM

Wasn't "Mystique" Pam Grier's alter ego while she was infiltrating King George's stable in COFFY?

Best post ever.

RadioheadRocks

05-16-2009, 08:20 PM

Best post ever.

Thanks Kittle. She also set up one of the greatest cat-fights in movie history.

"Oh Meg, you don't have any salad!" :D:

SOXPHILE

05-17-2009, 11:35 PM

So how much rent you collecting for letting these folks you hate live in your head?

No one's fault but yours that you choose to pay attention to this crap nor that you choose to accept at face value strictly the stereotypes you have littered your post with.

If I were a flubs fan, I'd laugh my ****ing ass off at you, but I'm not, so I just think it's sad...

I'm not letting anything "live in my head". I'm not lying awake at night worried about Cub fans, or walking down the street, foaming at the mouth and muttering about how much I hate the Cubs and their fans. The question was asked "Why do people hate the Cubs ?" The reasons why are what I posted.

As I and others have said, we try not to pay attention to all the crap, but when you live in Chicago, it's impossible not to. It's all around you. I have found time and time again, and most recently last week, when I am out of town, away from Chicago and the surrounding area, how much easier that is not to pay any attention to it, because it barely exists, if at all.

I accept at face value those stereotypes I "littered my post with" because I have experienced them first hand, time after time after time after time. Complete strangers, fitting each of those stereotypes, many times not even at a Cubs game, coming up to inform me of my stupidity for wearing a Sox related item, how the Cubs are number 1, Cubbies WOOO !, Sox suck, Sox fans suck, it's all about Wrigley, Wrigley is where it's at, how can I be a scummy Sox fan, etc.

white sox bill

05-21-2009, 03:22 PM

Little story--Several yrs ago, the hicksville city that I HAVE to live at least part time in (in NW Illinois) was building a replica of Wrigley. I personally knew the President of this project. He's a great guy, despite the obvious flaw :). He wanted me to hook him up with Brooks email so her could ask Sox to donate. Brooks politely declined, stating their policy to stay clear of cub projects. I asked him why don't the Sox have more promotions in this area. His response was that Wrigley was considerably closer than the Cell driving time wise. So his thinking was people favored cubs game due to shorter drive times. I then emailed him the driving/time differences per Yahoo (minimal, like 10 miles or 15 minutes further to the Cell).

Never heard back from him on that topic.

Iwritecode

05-21-2009, 03:53 PM

Little story--Several yrs ago, the hicksville city that I HAVE to live at least part time in (in NW Illinois) was building a replica of Wrigley. I personally knew the President of this project. He's a great guy, despite the obvious flaw :). He wanted me to hook him up with Brooks email so her could ask Sox to donate. Brooks politely declined, stating their policy to stay clear of cub projects. I asked him why don't the Sox have more promotions in this area. His response was that Wrigley was considerably closer than the Cell driving time wise. So his thinking was people favored cubs game due to shorter drive times. I then emailed him the driving/time differences per Yahoo (minimal, like 10 miles or 15 minutes further to the Cell).

Never heard back from him on that topic.

I've actually found that it's easier and faster to drive to the cell since I can just hop on 90 and take it all the way in. The few times I've driven to Wrigley it was a major pain in the ass getting through the neighborhood and then finding a place to park.

I even missed the first 3 innings of a Cubs/Sox game once because we couldn't find a place.

white sox bill

05-21-2009, 06:37 PM

I've actually found that it's easier and faster to drive to the cell since I can just hop on 90 and take it all the way in. The few times I've driven to Wrigley it was a major pain in the ass getting through the neighborhood and then finding a place to park.

I even missed the first 3 innings of a Cubs/Sox game once because we couldn't find a place.
Agreed...seems like it takes forever to get to Wrigley once you exit onto Addsion off I90

DumpJerry

05-21-2009, 07:31 PM

I've actually found that it's easier and faster to drive to the cell since I can just hop on 90 and take it all the way in. The few times I've driven to Wrigley it was a major pain in the ass getting through the neighborhood and then finding a place to park.

I even missed the first 3 innings of a Cubs/Sox game once because we couldn't find a place.
What's the problem? Get off the Kennedy (90/94) at Addison and park in the KMart lot and take the shuttle. There are signs there for remote Cub parking.

Or load up bicycles on the car and ride your bikes down Addison from KMart or the side streets around there.

Iwritecode

05-22-2009, 10:33 AM

What's the problem? Get off the Kennedy (90/94) at Addison and park in the KMart lot and take the shuttle. There are signs there for remote Cub parking.

Or load up bicycles on the car and ride your bikes down Addison from KMart or the side streets around there.

There's a shuttle? How long has that been around?

I haven't been there since 2001.

DumpJerry

05-22-2009, 01:07 PM

There's a shuttle? How long has that been around?

I haven't been there since 2001.
I've been living there for 11 years now and I've always seen the signs. If you can't get shuttle, the Addison Street bus will drop you off at The Urinal.

Another option is to find parking somewhere along the Red Line (if you're familiar with Chicago geography) and hop on the Red Line to Addison.

But the most important thing to remember before you head out to The Urinal is to see your doctor to make sure all of your shots are updated. You don't want to catch anything.

eriqjaffe

05-22-2009, 01:19 PM

You don't want to catch anything.Can't you just throw anything you catch back onto the field?

Hitmen77

05-23-2009, 01:17 AM

So it has been about a month since I decided to ignore the Cubs. This has been easier than I thought since I watch most stuff via DVR and can skip what I don't want to see. Generally, the plan works well. I do hear the occasional score. Last weekend, I was in-town and told my sox fan dad of my plan, which he ruined by telling me the standings. Sigh. Note to self: Don't share the plan with others (non WSI'ers). They'll spoil it.

However, I have to say, I am much happier overall. Drove home Saturday night after the game listening to 670, including the incomprehensible call. Have to say, it's a lot better feeling being pro-Sox focused than anti-Cub. Wish the season was going better though.

Others have already said it well about living in Chicagoland always being inundated with Cubs love. Posters who live out of town and say "who cares" just can't relate to putting up with this Cubs crap.

As far as "Cubsession" goes, I still hate Cub fans and their attitude. But, IMO, the world really did change on 10/26/05. Cub fans are still full of themselves and the media still tends to fawn over them.....but it's 1000% better now than it used to be.

Gone are the days where I got crap from most people (not just the rabid obnoxious Cub fans) simply for being a Sox fan. Oh, a Sox fan? Why? Nobody even cares about them! While the Cubs still dominate the market, the myth that no one likes the Sox except for gangbangers and Ligue-type trailer trash came tumbling down after 2005.

Nowadays, I see people with Sox gear everywhere. It's still a significant majority Cubs fans when I meet new people, but I no longer feel like I'm the lone holdout against drinking the blue koolaid. People no longer act like I must be the only Sox fan they have ever met.

Also, the Cubs "mystique" crap doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. The myth that everything in "Cub-dom" (Cub-dumb?) and everything Wrigley is total utopia has really taken a hit in recent years....I would say since the 2003 Cubs playoff collapse. More and more, I hear people dare to say that the emperor has no clothes by complaining about obnoxious/ignorant Cub fans and by noting how rundown Wrigley (and how nice the Cell is). After the Sox championship and the Cubs choke jobs in '03 and '08 - losing just doesn't seem so "lovable" to people in Chicago anymore.

So, in summary I still have a slight chip on my shoulder over people's attitudes toward the Sox and Cubs. But since 2005, it's a hell of a smaller chip.

scarsofthumper

05-23-2009, 05:37 PM

Others have already said it well about living in Chicagoland always being inundated with Cubs love. Posters who live out of town and say "who cares" just can't relate to putting up with this Cubs crap.

As far as "Cubsession" goes, I still hate Cub fans and their attitude. But, IMO, the world really did change on 10/26/05. Cub fans are still full of themselves and the media still tends to fawn over them.....but it's 1000% better now than it used to be.

Gone are the days where I got crap from most people (not just the rabid obnoxious Cub fans) simply for being a Sox fan. Oh, a Sox fan? Why? Nobody even cares about them! While the Cubs still dominate the market, the myth that no one likes the Sox except for gangbangers and Ligue-type trailer trash came tumbling down after 2005.

Nowadays, I see people with Sox gear everywhere. It's still a significant majority Cubs fans when I meet new people, but I no longer feel like I'm the lone holdout against drinking the blue koolaid. People no longer act like I must be the only Sox fan they have ever met.

Also, the Cubs "mystique" crap doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. The myth that everything in "Cub-dom" (Cub-dumb?) and everything Wrigley is total utopia has really taken a hit in recent years....I would say since the 2003 Cubs playoff collapse. More and more, I hear people dare to say that the emperor has no clothes by complaining about obnoxious/ignorant Cub fans and by noting how rundown Wrigley (and how nice the Cell is). After the Sox championship and the Cubs choke jobs in '03 and '08 - losing just doesn't seem so "lovable" to people in Chicago anymore.

So, in summary I still have a slight chip on my shoulder over people's attitudes toward the Sox and Cubs. But since 2005, it's a hell of a smaller chip.

Mod Edit- Profanity deleted.

Woofer

05-23-2009, 06:08 PM

I agree that things changed for us Sox fans after 2005. I still hate Cub fans for the unneccesary smugness that they spew. Since 2005, I almost feel sorry for them, and I keep my sarcastic anti-Cub feelings to myself. I actually find myself enjoying talking about the Cubs with Cub fans, and I agree with them when so and so is doing great, or so and so isn't. I try to be nice. Key word, try.

But if for some reason, Mr. Cub fan has any thing to say about my Sox, or me or my family being Sox fans, I let them have it with both barrels. There are nice ways to critisize somebodies favorite team, and most Cub fans never bothered to learn to be nice. That is when I try to destroy them. One method involved me pointing at my now almost 5 year old son, and saying, "He got to see the Sox win the World Series, and no one in your family since your GreatGreat Grandfather has seen the Cubs win one. It's mean, but they back off. Like I said, I'm nicer now since 2005, so long as I get any respect from Mr. Cub fan.

scarsofthumper

05-23-2009, 07:07 PM

and on the same end Cubs fans start to get annoyed with Sox fans because they think they're all high and mighty since they won the world series.

pearso66

05-24-2009, 12:06 PM

Just up in the Gurnee area you see stores that don't have Sox merchandise. That is about 40 miles from US Cellular, in most stores you will see a ton of Cubs stuff, some brewers stuff and some Sox stuff, and a few if you go out to Mchenry have no Sox stuff at all, oh well.

I don't mind the Cubs or even their fans that much, but the ones I can't stand are the ones who spout off about what the Sox are doing wrong, how bad the Sox are, their field is crap, their team did this wrong, and then mention that Sox fans only care about the Cubs. I know many people like this, who don't even mention the Cubs. Most of the time I let it slide, but it's gotten so bad at times that I make backhanded remarks, some laugh, others get pissed.

soxfan2504

05-24-2009, 11:25 PM

There's a shuttle? How long has that been around?

I haven't been there since 2001.

Other options that may work for getting to the Urinal:

Get of I-90 at Cumberland Avenue, park at Cumberland Blue Line Station; there's a gigantic parking garage there with something like 1600 spaces, so I imagine it rarely fills up. Take Blue Line five stops to Addison Street, catch 152 Addison bus east 3 1/2 miles east to Wrigley, or;

Still park at Cumberland, but get off at Jefferson Park, two stops later. Catch #81 (not the 81W) Lawrence Avenue bus east to Kimball Brown Line station; take Brown Line to Southport, walk two blocks north to Addison, then follow the stench 3 blocks east.

The latter is probably the better option, as you won't have to worry about idling on a bus stuck in on-street traffic near Wrigley; you can laugh at the idiots stuck in traffic and looking for a space as you walk by.

For Sox games, Blue Line from Cumberland to Jackson, transfer to Red Line, 4 stops south to the Cell, if you don't wanna shell out $23 to park in the Sox own lots. Blue and Red both run 24/7, (as well as does the 77 Belmont bus, which runs 4 blocks south of the Urinal, and connects with both lines) so you'll always have a way to get back to your car from either ballpark.